Mademoiselle Boleyn-Robin Maxwell

Mademoiselle Boleyn
Robin Maxwell
NAL, Nov 2007, $14.00
ISBN: 9780451222091

At eight years old Anne Boleyn accompanies her family to the Netherlands where she is deserted at the court of Archduchess Margaret of Burgundy. Feeling all alone she learns to cope as the foreigner in a strange place; even teaching herself to understand French. A year later, after a brief respite back home, she is sent to live at the French King Louis XII’s court as part of Princess Mary’s retinue when she wed the French monarch. Unlike her previous regal stay, Anne learns to fit in even as her homeland is at war with her current country. The most valuable lesson a young female can have is to gain knowledge that can be used to counterbalance the power of men have over women; to do that she learns the lesson of being in plain sight yet remain indistinguishable from the rest of the retinue. She observes how women are nothing except chattel as her father “sells” her then eleven year old sister Mary to serve as mistress to the French King and she is expected to spy on the French rulers who treat her with care and respect unlike her own family. Over the next eight years she stayed on the continent where Anne concludes that unless a woman marries into power as Princess Mary Tudor did when she wed her ancient French monarch, she is subject to abuse by all males; not just her spouse, father, or brother. Anne learns her lessons well when King Henry comes for her.

MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN is one of the best biographical fiction works of the year. The insight into how Anne learned survival techniques in a male dominant world will shock the audience as females are sexual pawns even when they are as young as eleven years old and expendable as eight years old. Robin Maxwell further supports her premise with a deep look at the royal support cast and the Bolyn family. Sub-genre readers especially those who appreciate the Henry the Eighth era will want to read this powerful look at the fifteenth century and know “we’ve come a long way baby”, but not far enough.

Harriet Klausner